Senior year is supposed to be a year one won't forget. They say it's the best year out of all. The feeling of being superior, having shorter classes, going on field trips, getting dolled up for prom, and graduating. Getting away from this school and making it big at some Ivy League college far from here was her plan; fulfill her dreams at one of the best art schools in the country. That certain Ivy League college happened to be miles away from New Orleans, where she's lived ever since she was a little girl. Yale University, the best in America, had made a huge impact on her, and getting out of NOLA and attending would be a dream come true.
Well, the dream of learning from the best at YU had sprouted since her youth. The part of packing everything up and saying goodbye to New Orleans became one of her hopes ever since her father had passed away.
Two weeks before she started her freshman year at Benjamin Franklin High School, her father had lost his battle to stage four brain cancer, and ever since that day, she isolated herself from others just to get through each day. And the fact that she chose to be alone didn't make each day go by smoothly.
Being bound to glasses since she was four years old hid her bright, hazel eyes and gave her that typical "I'm a nerd" look. But she wasn't- or at least not completely. To add to that nerdy looking scenario, she just so happened to get braces a week after graduating from the eighth grade. That look gave off made her think she gave off the vibe that she would rather have her head stuck in a book rather than hang out with friends that she didn't have. Which was completely and utterly false. She had friends! None that really went to her school, but she did have friends. She also had a best friend, Myra Livingston, and she moved right after their graduation. How convenient.
A lot had happened from her transition to middle school to high school, and so far, she wasn't liking one bit of it.
Entering the halls of Benjamin Franklin High school for the very last first time gave her a bit of warmth in her heart; Olivia Anderson knew she would never have to come back next year and relive the horrid nightmares she had gone through the past three years. Sure, her style wasn't exactly the trendiest or the cutest, but it wasn't the worst, and she could go to the mall and splurge on the hottest clothes any time she wanted to. Olivia spent many, many hours working overtime at the local diner, so that she wouldn't have to depend on her mother for anything. She knew anything could happen at any time, so she was prepared. Olivia wasn't even into spending that much money, and she didn't want to waste her hard earned money on clothes she wasn't sure she'd like or not. She felt that as an artist, she should express herself through a canvas instead of through her choice of apparel. Not to mention, Olivia was very lazy when it came to dressing up and found it quite pointless to impress people with clothing. She had decent clothes, nothing too horrendous, but people still made comments. Besides, her clothing had nothing to do with her being weird or poor or lame or whatever. She was just sad.
There shouldn't be too many remarks about her appearance this year, because a miracle was happening. Her braces should be coming off sometime this month and she knew that they were completely different teeth from the looks of it. She did have crooked teeth for a majority of her teenage years. Her mother also said she had a surprise for her, which she had no clue about, but mentioned that she would love her forever. This year was definitely going to be filled with surprises and Olivia wasn't quite sure if she would be able to handle it.
Chances are, she could actually make it through this year and enjoy herself.
"Chances are, you'll be the artist you've always wanted to become, and nothing will, or should, stop you from achieving that goal, alright kiddo? Not even me being in this condition. You'll do wonders in this crazy world and just know that wherever you are, or wherever I am, I'll always be proud of you."
Olivia took in a deep breath as she set foot onto the school's parking lot. She exited her car and sighed, remembering what her dad had told her a few days before he left. She could get through this year, for him. She had to. Olivia clung onto her side bag and marched over to her locker, 16B. The same one for that past three years. Looking straight ahead, noticed not many people were staring and snickering like the years before.
"Good morning, Olivia." Isaac Smith, somewhat handsome, or really handsome, and surprisingly funny made his way over to her, holding a bunch of art brushes and sketch pads. He smiled at her.
"Hey, Isaac." Her mouth formed a tiny grin at his attempt to hold everything in his grasp and struggling at doing so. Isaac was probably the only person to accept Olivia for Olivia, and he also enjoyed her artworks.
Olivia and Isaac met at an art program over the summer. He had started at Benjamin Franklin High last year, but they met a few months after. Isaac came across one of her paintings at the art fair and he was amazed by it.
"So how's that painting you've been working on over the summer? I'd love to see it whenever it's finished."
"It's coming along. I haven't really had time to finish it after the art program, but I'd love to show it to you." Olivia's face lit up at the subject being brought up.
"Are you gonna tell me what your muse is?" He laughed, leaning against the locker.
"I would, but I want it to be a surprise. Surprises are always fun." She arched an eyebrow at him, leaving him smiling. Her metal-filled smile flashed at him as she unbuttoned her cardigan. Olivia could tell he had a surprised look on his face. "What?"
"Nothing, it's just, I've never really seen you in clothes that aren't dark colors." He chuckled, but reassured her that it wasn't a bad thing. "Don't worry, you look great. You should wear different colors more often."
Olivia was wearing a maroon- almost red- blouse with some black cuffed jeans, accompanied by her favorite pair of boots. Black and grey weren't really her favorite colors, but she wasn't really thinking when she was buying her clothes. When she bought clothes, she chose anything nice in black and, or, grey. It was sort of a habit.
"Oh, well thank you-" She was interrupted.
"Looks like the Black Sheep decided to go with something a little different today!"
Olivia knew that voice from a mile away. Turning around, she came to face the one and only Noah Sanders. Total jock, arrogant douche, ladies' man, and Olivia's high school enemy. Or so she makes him out to be. From the very first day she set foot on the school campus, Noah came up with her stupid little nickname and it stuck ever since then.
He put his hands together in a single clap and gave Olivia a slight smirk that made her quite infuriated every single time. "But most things never change." He finished while turning the corner.
She pushed up her glasses a bit and couldn't help but roll her eyes. Noah and his jock followers did a quick drive by and Olivia didn't have time to fire back an insult.
"Don't listen to them." Isaac stated in her defense.
"I can add another year to being called 'The Black Sheep'." Sighing, she grabbed her art book from her locker.
"It's alright, if they ever call you that again, I'll be there to kick their asses, kapish?" He stood there looking like he was going to run over to Noah and beat him up, and that made Olivia laugh.
"You're barely saying this now? Where were you last year?" She giggled lightly, patting him on the shoulder as the bell for first period rang. She started to walk towards the classroom as Isaac stood there.
"Well, I, I couldn't do anything right now because of all these art supplies I'm carrying so." He felt embarrassed.
"It's okay, the thought of you kicking their asses is pretty sweet." She smiled at him, coming back to grab the sketch pads, "Let's go."
He laughed, feeling even more embarrassed.